Baptist Bourbon, holy cow!
Written: Jan 03 '03 (Updated Jan 06 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Taste, price, and presentation
Cons: A little hot for 12 years and a strong nose
The Bottom Line: Great bourbon for a very reasonable price
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| black85l98's Full Review: Elijah Craig Bourbon 12 Year |
Elijah Craig was a baptist minister and is thought to be the father of bourbon. He is credited with being the first to store his heavenly distillation in charred barrels. Heaven Hill produces this bourbon and others including Evan Williams. Elijah Craig 12 is aged 12 years and comes in at a respectable 94 proof. Each bottle is from a batch of 100 barrels or less. The cost for a 750ML bottle is between 13 and 20 dollars US. This Bourbon does not have a great following and that could be the reason for the fantastic price. While not noticed by the masses the experts have given EC some good marks.
Best of the Best: 2001 Whisky Magazine
Double Gold Medal: San Fransisco World Spirits Competition
Silver Medal: 2001 Wine and Spirits International Spirits Challenge
I bought a bottle of EC to take to a party once because it was reasonable and the bottle was sharp. I had a bottle of another brand that I did not want to share so this was my decoy bottle. I did not drink much of the EC that night and only tried some after the other bottle was gone. I had some help as it was hard to hide.
Tonight while at the liquor store I decided to give it another try and let the folks here know what my thoughts were.
Presentation
The bottle has a classic shape, is clear and has a raised signature on the front and back. The color in the bottle is a dark caramel on the shelf. The labels are a tan old fashioned color. The red "12” stands out on the front label and it is clearly marked “Kentucky Straight Bourbon”. My bottle had a nice neck tag that provided some of the historical information for this review. The bottle is topped off with a cork and plastic signature crown.
Nose
I poured my first glass of the evening into a short Brandy sniffer. I took a quick whiff right after I poured it and it was quite strong. I felt a definite burn in my nostrils and did not catch even a hint of the scent I expected. I let the glass age for about a minute and gave it another try. This time I caught the charcoal, caramel and vanilla but still a bit strong for me.
Flavor
Neat; Warm, not too hot on the tongue but it is Bourbon. I can taste the charcoal and something more. It is hard to put into words but for lack of a better term I will say apple. I am not disappointed but I expected a little more from 12 years in the barrel. I think 18 would be to long but another two may be perfect. Nice finish. Slides down the back of your throat like velvet razor blades, just like Bourbon should. You know it's going down but it does not hurt even a little.
On ice; I poured the EC over about 1” of crushed ice in an “old fashioned” glass. After it had set long enough to melt some of the ice I took my first of several sips. The heat at the start is gone now as the ice and branch water have doused the flames I experienced when drinking it straight. The charcoal flavor is more noticeable now and the apples are gone. Oak, smoke, earth, and then a stronger finish.
Mixed with cola
If you like your Bourbon with coke this one makes a fine mixed drink. The flavor holds up well with coke and does not let the cola take over. In fact the flavors are less jarring and the wonderful apple taste I found is back.
Final notes
I like this Bourbon and think it is well worth the price. Neat or with Coke it is great, not as impressed over ice. I think Heaven Hill would do well to dump 100 barrels of some of the 18 year about four years early. At 14 or 15 years in the barrel I think it would be perfect. I will try the 18 year but fear that it will be too woodsy after that much time.
I have about 2/3 of a can of Coke I must finish I guess I'll have to do some more testing :-).
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
black85l98
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Location: Deep South USA
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 1 member
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